In some wireless packet-switched networks, frame allocation information and other control parameters may be broadcast in packet control messages. The packet control messages may be further subdivided into one or more sub-messages. In a wireless network operating according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16e standard, the packet control messages and sub-messages may be denominated as “map” messages. Additional information regarding the IEEE 802.16e™ protocol standard may be found in 802.16e™: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks—Part 16: Air Interface for Fixed and Mobile Broadband Wireless Access Systems—Amendment 2: Physical and Medium Access Control Layers for Combined Fixed and Mobile Operation in Licensed Bands (published Feb. 28, 2006).
A base station (BS) may transmit uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) map messages. The UL and DL map messages may control transmit and receive activities, respectively, of a mobile station (MS), perhaps on a per-frame basis. Map messages are thus critical to MS operation and must be reliably received by the MS. Map messages may be transmitted with low-rate coding to improve map reliability. However, low-rate coding may result in a large bandwidth overhead.